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My Tandy Model 102: Ancient Simplicity

Appropriate use. Just solve the problem. The right tool for the right job.

My little Tandy 102 is one of my favorite pieces of electronics. It is an exemplification of the principles that I use to define a good thing: It's simple. It has what it needs. It works for the the user. It transcends its ego.

The M102 was the second generation of the very first laptop computers ever made. It has a 40 x 8 charcters LCD screen, a full size keyboard, built-in BASIC, text editor, and terminal program, RS-232 port, built-in 300 baud modem, a full size keyboard and runs off of 4 AA batteries for 20 hours. (There are more features but those are the parts that are important to me.)

It's the perfect writing machine. With its 16 kilobytes of memory it doesn't hold much, but it's a wonderful alternative to a bulky modern laptop or a keyboard-less palmtop. I've used mine for keeping notes, journals and receipts while traveling and for writing while in the park and on the bus. I stand in awe at its reliability, ease-of-use, and its instant boot-up.